Men’s 1 (5) vs. (0) Scarborough 1st’s
Slazenger Men’s 1s welcomed Scarborough to home turf on Saturday looking to put right the wrongs of a dismal display the previous week – and, despite a squad held together with tape and good intentions, they very much delivered.
Preparation was far from ideal. One player was mysteriously unavailable after being called up for a matinee performance of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – apparently the call of the West End (or at least the local stage) was stronger than the call of the press. Adding to Slaz’s selection woes, three others were missing after heading off on a skiing trip… and, in a cruel twist of irony, were reportedly unable to make it back due to too much snow on the tracks. Hockey in February, cancelled by actual winter. As a result, Slaz were down to a bare eleven, with young Jimmy Swinden making the big step up from the 2s for his Men’s 1s debut.
Despite the disrupted build-up, Slaz came out with a point to prove and immediately looked to put Scarborough on the back foot. The early pressure paid off when debutant Swiden announced himself in style, popping up at the back post to steer home a deflection and give Slaz a deserved opener. Confidence flowed through the side and some slick passing and fluid movement soon followed, culminating in a beautifully worked team goal calmly slotted away by Emmett.
However, luck was not entirely on Slaz’s side. The umpire appeared to have a brief moment of madness, awarding a short corner against captain Ben Stevenson – much to his visible and vocal dismay. Even a heroic, Babe Ruth-esque goal-line clearance from Asad Baig could not keep Scarborough out forever, and after mopping up the rebound they eventually converted to pull a goal back.
A rousing half-time team talk made it clear that, despite the lead, the game was far from won. What followed was arguably Slazenger’s best hockey of the season. The tempo lifted, the movement sharpened and Scarborough were pushed deeper and deeper into their own half. Emmett grabbed his second of the afternoon before further goals from Asad and Keith capped off a dominant second-half display.
Reduced numbers, show-business distractions and snow-stranded skiers aside, Slazenger Men’s 1s showed real character and quality to bounce back in style – and sent Scarborough home knowing they had been outplayed by a side very much back on song.
Men’s 2nd’s (5) vs (4) Chesterfield 3rds
Sometimes, the highlight of the game is a specific goal or passage of play. It maybe says something about the game that the highlight was the post match teas; a well organised pairing of sandwiches, crispy chips and sausages. Each potentially limited on their own, but they worked well together, in a well coordinated move by the Britainnia Inn. The game earlier had shown a distinct lack of this coordination and flair from the visiting side.
Chesterfield 3’s sat at the bottom of the league, and initially it looked like the promise of a strong result. However, there wasn’t much in the way of enthusiasm during the warmup and the initial touches of the ball didn’t bode well either. In fact, it was Chesterfield who to took the lead early and showed a piece of what was to come, beating the goalie with a fast paced attacking move. It wasn’t until James Walker parried away a penalty flick that Slaz looked slightly more motivated and equalised through a Richard Tuddenham short corner strike.
At half time there were wise words spoken and discussions of tactics and strategy. Chesterfield utilised their experienced players well to shut out the Slaz attack, while their younger lads ran the attacking moves. However the brutal reality was they were first to every 50/50 ball, and were physically strong on the ball.
Coming out in the second half, Slazenger hauled themselves into contention. A penalty corner finished by Jack Sumner got the ball rolling, followed by a second from Sumner; arriving at the back post with perfect timing to put the ball away. Soon after, Richard Tuddenham got his second from a well worked short corner routine. Each time, however, Chesterfield matched the goal with their own in response. Like the immovable object and irresistible force battling it out for supremacy, it seemed as though it was destined for a draw, but Slaz had one more goal up their sleeves. A well coordinated pass and move routine setup Paul Wiper for a first time strike to seal the win.
It wasn’t pretty, and against a stronger, more clinical opponent, it may have been an embarrassing result. However, in the end, Slaz did just enough to escape disaster. Let’s hope next week at Huddersfield 2nds, they get back to the exciting form they had before.
Men’s 3rd’s (2) vs. (9) Leeds Adel 5th’s
Slazenger 3s arrived at the fixture somewhat under the weather and decidedly under-strength, fielding a mere eleven souls due to an injury list longer than the wine menu at a country wedding. Nevertheless, spirits were high and optimism — however misplaced — was present at kick-off.
From the very first whistle, it became abundantly clear that Adel 5s had not come for pleasantries. They moved the ball with the sort of crisp efficiency usually associated with well-drilled regiments or people who warm up properly. Slazenger, by contrast, spent much of the opening exchanges bravely retreating, valiantly chasing shadows, and occasionally wondering aloud whose man that was.
Goals, regrettably, began to flow for the hosts with indecent haste. Despite Sammy making a number of gallant interventions — some orthodox, some less so — Adel found themselves repeatedly invited through the defence like guests at an open garden party. By the interval, the score line had already taken on a rather cruel complexion, 4-0.
The second half did, to Slazenger’s credit, contain moments of resistance and even — dare one say it — flair. Dodge found the net with a beautifully taken finish from a well worked Slaz short corner, briefly restoring dignity and prompting a roar of applause from Tim. Shortly thereafter, Scott added a second, pouncing with the enthusiasm at the end of a beautifully worked team goal that started with Trevor at the back working its way through the entire squad before Will slipped an elegant pass by the Adel keeper which needed just a tap to find the back of the net.
Alas, Adel were in no mood for charity. Every lapse, bobble, or momentary lapse of concentration was punished with ruthless efficiency. The goals continued to arrive, until the scoreboard finally settled on a most unsporting 9–2.
And so, the afternoon concluded: pride dented, but chins — by and large — held aloft. One to be accepted with good grace, a stiff upper lip, and perhaps a restorative beverage. The focus now turns to recovery, training, and the firm belief that hockey, like society, is cyclical — and surely next week must be better.
Men’s 4th’s (1) vs. (4) Sheffield Uni Bankers 7th’s
Slazenger 4s welcomed Sheffield University Bankers 7s to home turf for a challenging league fixture, knowing they would need to start sharply against a well-organised visiting side.
The hosts did exactly that, striking early in the 6th minute. A bright opening spell paid off when Slazenger moved the ball quickly through midfield before finishing calmly to give the home side a deserved early lead and set the tone for an energetic first quarter.
Sheffield responded well, however, and began to grow into the game. Their equaliser came in the 15th minute after sustained pressure, before they added a second in the 25th minute to swing the momentum their way. Just five minutes later, Sheffield capitalised on a short corner in the 30th minute, converting clinically to make it 3–1 heading towards the break.
Despite Slazenger continuing to battle and create moments going forward, Sheffield extended their lead shortly after half time. In the 45th minute, the visitors were awarded a penalty flick, which was confidently dispatched to make it 4–1.
To their credit, Slazenger kept competing until the final whistle, showing resilience and commitment across the pitch, even as Sheffield managed the game well in the closing stages. While the score line didn’t reflect the effort from the home side, there were positives to take from the strong start and periods of solid play against a disciplined opposition.
Slazengers will look to build on those positives as they prepare for their next fixture.
Ladies 1st’s (1) vs. (2) Lindum 2nd’s
The Birthday Push-Off Classic
On a fine birthday weekend, Slazenger arrived at Lindum not just to play hockey—but to celebrate in style. With birthday energy in the air and sticks taped with intent, the team lined up ready to turn cake into goals. Lindum took the push-off, but it was Millie who set the tone early with fierce pressure, backed up by Slaz keeping the ball alive in midfield. Lindum tried to build, but Emma and Eliz stood firm at the back, shutting down any early attempts to break into the D.
Millie sparked an attack with a sharp interception and carry forward, though Lindum briefly regained possession. Slaz soon earned their first short corner after some tidy attacking play, but Lindum managed to survive the initial birthday scare. Momentum swung again as Lindum earned a short of their own, but Slaz defended bravely. Tilda showed pure determination, charging forward to turn defence into attack. Amelia and her Lindum marker battled hard in the D, but the breakthrough didn’t quite come.
Then—magic! A huge defensive clearance from Emma, a brilliant long ball, and pressure from Frankie earned another short. GOAL – AMELIA! A clinical finish and suddenly it was 0–1 Slaz. Birthday candles officially blown out. Lindum tried to respond, but Zoe’s interception, Rebecca’s strength in the middle, and Bella’s work on the wing kept them frustrated. Slaz continued to press—Alys firing a shot, Lucy’s strong runs and tackles up the line, and relentless work from Millie.
Despite Lindum earning another short, Emma calmly stopped it and cleared, summing up Slaz’s defensive discipline. The half ended with drama—Millie knocked over, Lindum countering quickly—but Ami pulled off a vital save just before the halftime whistle.
Lindum came out firing, driving into the D early, but Tilda threw herself in front of a shot—a block worthy of wrapping paper and a bow. Wave after wave came from Lindum, yet Slaz stood tall. Emma, Imo, Tilda and Eliz worked relentlessly, forcing shots wide and keeping the D locked down. Then Slaz struck again.
A flowing move up the wing saw Amelia drive into the D, earning a short corner.
Amelia stepped up, took the hit… Frankie with the push shot… GOAL!; 0–2 Slaz — candles relit, birthday wishes granted. Lindum refused to roll over and eventually pulled one back with a flick to the top corner.
1–2, game on.
But Slaz didn’t panic. Emma and Eliz combined beautifully in defence, Frankie battled hard in midfield (even earning a green card for enthusiasm), and Alys, Millie and Zoe kept the pressure upfield.
Late drama saw Slaz earn another short after strong D work. Amelia fired again—blocked on the line with no glove! Another short followed, Lindum scrambling, Slaz pushing… but the final whistle blew before the icing could go fully on the cake.
A performance full of grit, teamwork, and just the right amount of birthday sparkle. Goals, guts, blocks, saves—and a win to celebrate. Happy Birthday weekend Coops and Alys and what a way to mark it: three points wrapped up and taken home.
Ladies 2nd’s (4) vs (3) Ben Rhydding 3rd’s
Both sides started strongly, applying pressure and defending well through the opening 10 minutes. The first half was closely contested, with some excellent 1–2 passing helping Slaz to build momentum.
Slazenger eventually broke the deadlock after great build-up play from Kez, Arina and Lou, moving the ball smoothly up the pitch for Lou to strike and score the opener. Hungry for more, Slaz continued to battle hard, linking up well through quick passes between And and Alex. A well-earned penalty corner followed, where Arina netted her first goal for the 2nds to give Slaz a 2–0 lead at half time.
Ben Rhydding came out determined in the second half and quickly pulled two goals back as Slaz regrouped under pressure. Regaining composure, Slaz responded with another goal from a fiercely contested penalty corner, Nicci reacting quickly to slot home the rebound.
Ben Rhydding refused to back down and piled on the pressure with several short corners, eventually equalising to make it 3–3. But Slaz were determined to take the win. Some excellent team play and sharp 1–2 passing worked the ball around defenders before Alex delivered a precise cross for Maisie to score Slaz’s fourth.
Strong possession and disciplined defending in the closing stages prevented any further goals, and Slazenger left the pitch with a well-earned 4–3 victory.
Ladies 3rds (2) vs. (4) City if York 4th’s
Slazenger Ladies 3s hosted York 4s in a highly anticipated top-of-the-table clash, with Slazenger sitting in 1st place and York close behind in 2nd. Having lost the away fixture 5–3 earlier in the season, Slazenger were determined to put in a strong performance on home turf.
The game couldn’t have started better for the hosts. Within the opening minutes Slazenger were awarded a short corner, and Ellie Page made no mistake, finding the back of the net to give Slazenger an early lead. Slazenger continued to control much of the first half, with central midfielders Sian Glover and Lisa Minchella dictating play superbly. Lauren Fealy and Mollie Glover were also solid in midfield, playing some excellent balls through the lines as Slazenger looked dangerous going forward. A series of short corners followed, with Slazenger mounting sustained pressure but narrowly missing out on extending their lead. Against the run of play, York broke forward and equalised, sending the teams into half time at 1–1.
Slazenger came out for the second half hungry for the win and quickly regained the lead. A strong push down the right by Page and a cross from Justine Birkett saw Evie Mollart in the right place at the right time (again) to slot home and make it 2–1. York continued to battle hard, and the Slazenger defence were repeatedly called into action. Goalkeeper Lauren Hattersley made several crucial saves, including a couple of impressive mid-air stops to preserve the lead. However, York were awarded a short corner and, despite Nicole Knox almost keeping the ball out, a deflection saw it cross the line to level the scores once again.
York then edged ahead when a Slazenger round-the-back manoeuvre uncharacteristically broke down, allowing the York centre forward to pounce. Slazenger pushed hard in the closing stages in search of an equaliser, but in the final minutes York struck again to seal a 4–2 win.
Player of the Match went to Sian Glover for her outstanding coverage and control of the midfield. Slazengers remain top of the table… but only just.
Ladies 4ths (1) vs. (4) Huddersfield Dragons 3rds
Despite having most of the possession, Slaz ladies 4s went down 2-0 early in the game, both goals coming against the run of play. Julie, May and Toni worked tirelessly in midfield to create chances and work the ball up the pitch. Just before half time Julie got the ball through to Gemma in space at the top of the D, who put it in the bottom corner to get a goal back.
The defence were working well together, with Poppy, Lorna, Emily, Catreena and Michelle marking tightly. Although on occasions Tracy found herself having to come out to an extra player and close balls down at the top of the D.
Coming out in the 2nd half, Slaz lost a bit of composure and Huddersfield Dragons took full advantage.
Mandy, Gemma and Kirsty kept closing down the Dragons 16s but were unable to create any more meaningful opportunities.
U10 Girls A Team – Tournament Report
The Slazenger Girls Under 10s A team put in an excellent performance at Wakefield, playing four competitive Division 2 matches and finishing the day with three wins from four.
The day started in style with a convincing 3–0 victory over Ben Rhydding 2s. Slazenger played with confidence and intent, with Maci scoring twice and Ella adding a third. Maci’s first was a solo goal which came from a cheeky interception of a Ben Rhydding hit out and once in the D she slotted it past the keeper. Maci’s second came from a cross from Ella. Ella also got on the score sheet with Penny crossing the ball & Ella poking it home.
The second match was a much tighter affair against Ben Rhydding 1s. Despite a determined performance and plenty of effort from the Slazenger side, the game was decided by a single goal, ending in a narrow 1–0 defeat.
Slazenger responded superbly in their third match, producing a dominant 4–0 win against York 2s, but only after a slow start. Tilly scored Slaz’s first from a cross from the left and she was well positioned at the back post to sweep the ball home. Hattie scored two in quick succession, the first was from a cross from the right where she received the ball in the centre of the D and in fellow coach Will’s words ‘she did an elegant fake to the left then pulled it right to out position the defender and keeper and clincally slotted it away’. Her second came from a tackle by Maci in Yorks D and the ball ricochet to Hattie to sweep home. Maci scored Slaz’s 4th from another cross from Ella, having time to turn and slot past the keeper.
The final match saw Slazenger finish the day on a high with a 1–0 win over Adel 1s. In a closely contested game, Maci once again found the net, this time from a quickly taken free hit by Penny who drove at the D and crossed to Maci who once again clinically swept the ball passed the right of the keeper securing the victory and rounding off an impressive individual and team performance.
Overall, it was a fantastic day for the Slazenger Girls U10s A team, who put in a real team performance & worked hard for each other. Frances was her usual composed self in goal who was ready to make saves when called upon despite not seeing much action. Izzy was strong in defence but also distributed the ball well. Penny, Sophie & Tilly rotated to help out in defence (even thought it wasn’t their favoured positions). Ella was strong in central midfield & showed composure in choosing when to commit when attacking & dropping back when defending. Penny played predominantly on the right of midfield making good crosses & runs down the wing. Both players interchanged positions well with Penny covering the middle whenever Ella drove down the wing, a sign of a team working well together. Sophie was her usual bouncy positive self who played mostly on the wings & ran her socks off but also making good tackles & passes. Although not her favoured position Tilly helped out massively by playing in defence for a couple of matches but also played on the wings, her marking was good but also her positioning, particularly in the opposition’s D which her goal evidenced. Ellie was her usual fearless self and played on the wings or upfront working hard either closing players down & tackling or passing the ball well. Hattie played mostly on the left of midfield & grew in confidence over the tournament, showing skill & composure in the opposition’s D & fully deserved her two goals. Maci played mostly in attack & across all four matches she was a consistent outlet upfront finding space & her head never dropped if a shot wasn’t on target which is always a strong characteristic, but took her four goals well & also proving an assist resulting in a well deserved player of the tournament.
U10 Bee Team – Division 3 Tournament Report
What a fantastic tournament from our U10 Bee team! This is a young squad with a few new faces, and they showed huge spirit, teamwork and determination across a long day of hockey. A big welcome to Eliza and Ruby, who both settled in brilliantly and made an immediate impact. The team grew in confidence game by game, bonded really well, and showed great promise for the season ahead.
Slazengers v Adel 3 (0–0)
A solid opening game with great tackling all over the pitch. Bryce and Emily worked brilliantly together at the back, making key clearances under pressure. Up front, Lily and Heidi showed some exciting attacking intent and caused Adel plenty of problems but we could not convert our chances into goals.
Slazengers v Adel 2 (0–0)
An energetic performance with Bryce running end to end, attacking hard and sprinting back to defend. Evelyn continued to impress with solid tackles, while Heidi came very close to scoring, just missing the post. Eliza, Scarlett and Ruby all showed excellent positioning, helping the team stay compact and organised.
Slazengers v Wakefield 1 (0–2)
A tough match against Wakefield’s first team. Emily did a great job marking a strong attacking run, but Wakefield managed to sneak a goal just out of GK James’ reach. A fantastic interception from Ivy, followed by a controlled pass back to Emily, helped switch play across the pitch. Wakefield pressed again, but James pulled off a brilliant one-on-one save. Despite sustained pressure and a second Wakefield goal, Slazengers broke away with some lovely link-up play between Scarlett and Heidi. A really good result against strong opposition.
Slazengers v Ben Rhydding (0–0)
Another determined defensive performance. A great clearance from Evelyn set up a strong attacking move with Lily and Scarlett linking up well. Evelyn continued to dominate in the D with strong tackles, while Ivy’s positioning allowed for quick releases from defence. A great attacking opportunity followed with Eliza, Scarlett and Lily combining well.
Slazengers v Wakefield 2 (0–0)
The team worked brilliantly together in this game, stopping opposition attacks and pushing forward with confidence. Evelyn, Emily and Bryce were tireless in defence. Scarlett, Ruby and Eliza grew in confidence, putting in tackles and supporting play well. Ivy and Heidi found good space up front, and James made some important saves when called upon.
Slazengers v Chapeltown (0–1)
The final game of the day against a strong Chapeltown side. Even with tired legs, the team played with great spirit, showing how well they’d bonded over the tournament. Plenty of effort, teamwork and determination right to the final whistle. A fun end to the day with good snacks and an enthusiastic game of Dobble between matches!
Special Mentions
Eliza and Ruby both had a great tournament, showing excellent positioning, growing confidence, and some strong tackles throughout the day.
Player of the Tournament: Evelyn
Despite being the youngest player in the team, Evelyn was absolutely mighty. She put in strong, well-timed tackles, made crucial clearances in the D, and played with confidence well beyond her years. A brilliant tournament performance and a well-deserved award.
An excellent team performance from start to finish – lots to be proud of, lots of smiles, and loads of potential. Well done Bees!
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